If the Day Comes
by loveretriever
Summary: For dear bubblez, this is an AU war ficlet starring Angelina Johnson. The war is in full force, and enemies are everywhere. Friends drift apart and alliances are made and broken. What happens when all else fails and the Dark Times come? My take on an alternate ending in an alternate universe that is slightly darker than the books.


Dear AJ,

I am so sorry. This is an "I'd like to make it up to you" gift. I hope you get the chance to see it.

I'm sorry I have been MIA for too long. I have missed you dearly and always think about you.

Wishing you the best in this holiday season.

Merry Christmas, happy boxing day and good luck into the new year!

x ana x

* * *

The wind blew clear across the meadow until it hit an invisible wall, one that could only be seen as a magical barrier. To the outside world, the wind merely blew and then whipped around a corner, showing mercy to the crumbling tower that would undoubtedly have been in its path. To the lone witch who surveyed the scene, she knew exactly what was happening. Grimacing slightly, she continued hobbling towards her safe house.

She reached the door and muttered the right spells to grant her entrance. Firmly encasing herself inside the strong, sturdy, magically-enhanced walls, she let herself relax at last and surveyed her body. Her right arm was broken, hanging limply in a makeshift splint. Her left leg was bleeding from the calf down where a nasty curse had hit her. Her face was bruised and battered from fighting in the forest. Her hair was a tangled mess of braids, brightly coloured beads in clear disarray, sharpening her disheveled appearance. Her robes were tattered and ripped in several places. But most damaging of all was her ego. She had failed in her mission and now she was hiding like a coward.

Licking her wounds, she bandaged and dressed them and tried her best healing spells to straighten her arm. Half succeeding in looking almost decent, she used a quick scouring charm to clean up the worst of the grime and muck that covered her body and her clothes. Looking at herself in the hall mirror, she was satisfied. Yes, this would do quite fine for now. All she lacked was a little sleep. But now was not the time for that. If she survived, she would have the sweet luxury of sleep.

If...

If was good.

* * *

He stood at the edge of the forest, surveying the chaotic scene before him. There had obviously been a huge fight and a great magical force as though a very strong witch or wizard had burst through the forest. Clearly, someone who was hurt or injured was being pursued and had, in an effort of last resort, simply used their magic to shield themselves and banish everything before them. He pondered who that person could have been. Only a really powerful witch or wizard could have fought single-handed against so many foes without support.

He tried to recapture the scene and prove there were more than two people, but he found only one magical signature. The residue was so faint it was barely perceptible. He had almost missed it had his foot not gotten caught in a fallen branch. Cursing at himself, he straightened his robes and froze. A glint of gold on the snow-covered ground caught his eye. Thinking it a momentary flicker, he carefully inched forward.

The golden light grew stronger as he cautiously moved closer. No doubt about it, just one trail of a magical presence could be seen fleeing from the site of the most intense battle he had ever witnessed in his time as an Auror. He thought about the person whose magical signature could be this strong. It had to be a young person, he determined. Older witches and wizards would have concealed their presence much more carefully or at least would have known how to decrease their magical signature to leave less of a trail. It had to be someone in desperate need, too. Someone who was injured or hurt and pushed to the very limits of their strength. No matter how great a witch or wizard, loss of blood and broken limbs still hampered one's ability to think properly and act rationally.

He frowned and looked up at the sky. From the light filtering through the dense forest, he gathered that most of the time the area must have been lit up by spells firing back and forth between the two parties. Walking around the clearing where most of the fighting had occurred, he could tell that three or four people, at least, had been battling. There was evidence of multiple hexes and curses and fairly strong spells. But while here he found many magical signatures, only one led away from the forest fight.

Sighing and running his hands through his hair, he nodded with finality and quietly Disapparated to compile his report. His superiors were not going to like the result, but could they blame the messenger?

In the back of his mind, the screamed answer was a definite yes.

* * *

Angelina sighed and once more fixed her hair, pinning the loose strands as tightly as she could to keep them from falling into her face. She was lucky to be alive and she needed all her strength to go out into the world once more. She needed to file her report and gather any more intelligence while she was still able to be of use. Closing her eyes, she briefly let his image flash into her mind. She wondered where he was now and what he was thinking.

Sighing, she shook her head. It was no use to wonder and imagine six impossible things before breakfast. Instead, what she needed was to be practical. And practicality demanded she start by eating nourishment to refuel for the next mission. She needed to let her friends know she was alive. Hopefully, someone had gone looking for her.

A slight frown crossed her face. Now that she thought about it, no one had attempted contact in days. She worried a little. Was the war going that badly? Were they all too busy with their own battles and concerns to care about her?

Or, even worse, had they lost and given up all hope of fighting a losing battle? Had they simply accepted defeat without bothering to let her know. Oh, Angelina, by the way, don't worry. We're done here. How hard would that have been?

Chiding herself for despairing and thinking ill of her friends, Angelina gathered her meagre belongings and made ready to flee once more. Checking the wards on the safe house, she Apparated to a familiar sight.

* * *

And that, my dear bubblez, concludes chapter 1.

xoxo


End file.
